done it; he has dared do it!"

"Who is this he? M. Thomas Elgin, no doubt?"

"No, not he; another man."

"Name him!"

She hesitated, hung her head, and then said with a great effort,--

"I knew they wished to separate us; and, without knowing precisely what
means they would employ, I suspected them. And, when I came to you the
other day, I wanted to say to you, 'Have a care!' and you, M. Champcey,
you drove me from you."

He looked upon her with such an ironical smile that she broke off, and
cried,--

"Ah, he does not believe me! Tell me that you do not believe me!"

He bowed ceremoniously, and replied in his gravest manner,--

"I believe, Miss Brandon, that you desire to become Countess Ville-
Handry; and you clear everything out of your path that can hinder you in
your plans."

She was about to answer; but he did not give her time, and continued,--

"Mark, I pray, that I make no charges. Come, let us play openly. You
are too sensible and too practical to hate us--Miss Henrietta and
myself--from gratuitous and purely platonic motives. You hate us because
we are in your way. How are we in your way? Tell me; and, if you will
promise to help us, we--Henrietta and I--pledge ourselves not to stand
in your way."

Miss Brandon looked as if she could not trust her ears.

"But, sir, this is a bargain, I should say, which you propose?"

"Yes, indeed! And, that there may be no misunderstanding, I will mention
the precise terms: if you will swear to be kind to Henrietta during my
absence, to protect her against violence on the part of her father, and
never to force her to act contrary to her sentiments for me, I will give
you, in return, my word that I shall give up to you, without dispute
and without reserve, the whole immense fortune possessed by Count
Ville-Handry."

Succumbing to her grief, Miss Brandon seemed to be almost fainting; and
big tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Have I not yet been humiliated sufficiently?" she said in a low voice.
"Must you add shame to shame? Daniel, you think I am very mean."

And, checking the sobs which impeded her words, she went on,--

"And yet I cannot blame you for it, I cannot. No, you are right! Every
thing is against me; every thing bears witness against me. Yes, I must
appear a very wicked girl in your eyes. If you knew the truth, however,
Daniel--if I could, if I dared, tell you all!"

She drew nearer to him, all trembling; and then continued in a still
lower to